Flora and Fauna: The Provincia Meridia
consists largely of sparsely inhabited grasslands in the west, and unsettled
forests in the north. The hilly regions
to the south of the province are rich with mineral ores, and are a hotly
contested area between the settlers in Meridia and those of the County of
Furmenglaive to the south. Wild horses
roam the grasslands, as well as the usual chickens, goats, pigs, and other
sorts of animals. The dark forests are
rife with monsters and evil fairy creatures.

Further Reading: Dawn of the Emperors boxed
set, previous almanacs.

Description by Stefania Torion.

This
southern province is most well known for the petty warlords who feud between
themselves for mineral and land rights, and for the dark fairy creatures that
lurk in the forests (as opposed to the more benevolent fairies who live in my
own County of Redstone). The dangers
found here have limited colonisation in Meridia, as most colonists prefer more
stable areas.

The
Province of Meridia is almost entirely untamed wilderness. Only the sparsely settled Barony of
Caerdwicca has seen any real development.
This area was largely left to its own devices until recently, with
imperial colonisation centred upon developing the northern and central sections
of the Isle of Dawn. During the war the
Alphatians almost completely bypassed this area, though the privateers of
Caerdwicca and the pirates of Ne'er-do-well clashed fiercely at sea.

The Land

The
Menhir Wood dominates the southeastern portion of the Provincia Meridia. It is
around this forest, along the eastern coast and the southern hills north of
Furmenglaive, that most settlers reside.
The woods are named for the numerous strange rock formations that lay
within their depths. Sages have
pondered over their nature for decades, and most agree that they are somehow
magical and related to similar formations in the fairy-haunted Unseelie Forest
in the northern part of the province.
Their true secrets defy all investigation, however.

Those
aforementioned woods have yet to be settled by man. The evil creatures that roam the depths of the northern forest
are formidable and aggressive, and few who venture into their depths
return. It is rumoured that the dark
fairies have a kingdom of their own hidden there, and that even the trees
themselves are alive and hateful of mankind.

A
few small villages may be found in the central grasslands of the Provincia Meridia, along rivers leading
to the Western Sea of Dawn. Nomadic
herders, descendants of the original settlers of this portion of the isle, also
make their homes here.

The People

The
original inhabitants of the Provincia Meridia
were a slight, yellow-skinned race of people similar to the Ethengars. They once had numerous small villages in the
grasslands and along the western portion of the Shadow Coast, but over the
centuries they were enslaved and shipped off the island, or conquered by
outsiders. Their legacy remains among
the nomads who still roam the grasses, and in the legends and lore of the
Shadow Coast. Some still speak their
ancient language, a language that has surprising similarities to modern
Ochalean.

The
native inhabitants have since mostly blended with the Thyatian and Klantyrian
colonists over the intervening centuries.
The more recent settlers' physical traits-red hair among the
Klantyrians, for instance-tend to dominate, but aspects of the original stock
may still be found-slight epicanthic folds to the eyes, a yellowish tint to the
skin.

For
the most part, there doesn't seem to be a particular physical type that can be
assigned to residents of the Provincia Meridia,
but as for cultural outlook... Well,
let's just say that the Meridians tend to be close-mouthed, but that doesn't
mean they're pushovers. They've been
beaten down so much by their overlords that they've learned to keep quiet. At the same time, though, they're plotting
their revenge on their oppressors.

Recent History

The
lords have taken advantage of the chaos of the last several years, and most
recently the Crown War, when imperial attention has been distracted. They have not rebelled openly, but they used
the disorders for their own interests, while the empire's officials were not
paying attention, to scheme against each other and encroach on each other's
territories. Some of these lords even
are not true lords recognised as such by the empire, but just people who have
seized control of an area and set themselves up as warlords or
bandit-lords. Due to the crises that
have wracked Thyatis in recent years, these lordships have, if anything,
multiplied and gotten even more unruly.

Because
of this, most recent colonists have settled either around Caerdwicca or
Furmenglaive, or in the northern coastal areas away from the disorders of the
lordships. However, the lords recruit
new adherents and mercenaries from these areas when they can. They especially seek out the colonists who
were sent as a result of colonial conscription, the criminals and other
hardened sorts, who make good thugs in the opinion of the lords. These lords also hire mercenaries in small
numbers (none of the lords are able to afford large forces), hardened men
willing to do anything for a few gold pieces a month, and employ them in their
feuds and wars.

The
Provincial Governor of Meridia tries to keep a lid on the strife of the lords,
or at least keep the taxes flowing to the city of Thyatis. Until recently it had been Catullus Florus,
who employed a group of thugs, most former soldiers-the Rorphyri-to enforce his will.
However, Catullus was recalled to Thyatis shortly after the end of the
Great War, on suspicion of corruption and treason. His replacement, Valerion Recebarius, tried to reign in the lords
and bring order to the region, but he has disappeared and foul play is
suspected.

Don't Miss

Grosmouth
Castle in the southwest is one of the oldest fortifications on the Shadow
Coast. It reportedly dates back to
around the crowning of the first Emperor of Thyatis. It was built by a Traladaran mercenary named Estragon, who had
joined with Thyatian raiders in attacking Alphatian settlements on the Isle of
Dawn. He was so intrigued by the place,
that he remained and became known as one of the most brutal warlords to rule in
the history of the isle. His castle was
long rumoured to be haunted, but Catullus Florus made his home there during his
tenure as provincial governor.